


Moby the Great Whale of Forgiving

by TheKittenKait



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Ianto reminds him, Jack forgives people, M/M, Post-Episode: s02e04 Meat, Pre-Slash, Team as Family, The whole team (mentioned), sometimes he forgets he's a good man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 13:19:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14106258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheKittenKait/pseuds/TheKittenKait
Summary: "Jack", Ianto said slowly, "I don't think this is because of Gwen. This is all you."Sometimes Jack does things that make Ianto want to quit the team right then and there.More often than not he does not apologise when he really should.But sometimes he really doesn't have to.





	Moby the Great Whale of Forgiving

"I'm sorry"  
Ianto looked up from his desk and stared at Jack in surprise. He hadn't even heard him come, had probably been too engrossed in proof reading the reports of today's events.

 

"For what?", he asked and put Owen's report down on the pile of 'ready to be filed'.

 He had been surprised how little mistakes were in the report. Usually Owen deliberatly decorated his reports with grammatical and spelling errors as though they were the ink he was writing in.

The events with the space whale - or Moby as Ianto had dubbed him in the reports - must had really shaken him.

"Well for...", Jack started and he sounded a bit confused and hestitant, "For letting Gwen of the hook like that."

Ianto looked up again and Jack took it as a sign to continue.  
"It wasn't fair. I  should have redconned her and Rhys. That kind of behaviour is not something I should tolerate and I know that but sometimes... I don't know. Sometimes it's hard but I know that that's not an excuse and it wasn't fair and I thought I should apologise to all of you."  
Jack was babbling now, a clear sign that their leader was actually nervous, and Ianto took pity on him.  
"Jack", he interrupted him.  
Jack stopped mid sentence and stared startled at Ianto, mouth still halfway open.  
"It's okay", Ianto told him, "No ones angry."  
Jack managed to look even more startled and blinked.  
"You're not angry?"  
"Yeah. I'm not angry and even though I didn't really talk with Owen and Tosh about it I don't think they're angry either."  
Jack blinked again.  
"So there's no need to apologise", Ianto clarified, just in case Jack hadn't understood him, and turned back to the reports. Tosh's was next.  
That reminded him he still needed Jack's report as well...

"Why?", Jack asked after a few minutes of silence.  
Ianto jumped slightly. He had thought Jack had left already again.  
"Why what?", he asked without looking up. Really, if this was just another trick from Jack so that he didn't have to write the report Ianto would put him on decaf for at least a week.  
"Why... why aren't you angry?"  
Jack sounded confused enough that Ianto actually considered that this wasn't trick and he looked at Jack with a frown.  
"I mean... you have all the reasons to be angry! I can't just let Gwen get away with this stuff just because she's Gwen! Just because I want her to preserve what connection she has to the normal part of life."  
Ianto stared incredolously at him.  
"Are you serious?"  
Jack managed to look indignant and confused at the same time.

"Jack", Ianto said slowly, "I don't think this is because of Gwen. This is all you."  
Jack looked even more confused now but there was also a hint of hurt in his expression.  
Ianto sighed, sometimes he forgot how stupid Jack could be when he wanted to.  
"And you misunderstood that", Ianto said and put his pen down. Seemed like the reports had to wait another few minutes.  
"It's not just Gwen you let of the hook", he clarified. "Remember Lisa? All of the others were ready to retcon me until I wouldn't even remember my name or even shoot me."  
Ianto saw Jack shift a bit awkwardly. The whole Cyberman incident was still a sore subject that everyone generally avoided.  
But that didn't matter right now.  
"But you decided that it was a crime that could be forgiven", Ianto continued, "You told me to clean away the mess,  but other than that?"

Jack still looked uncomfortable and about to protest.  
Ianto continued before he had the chance.  
"And Owen. Do you remember that he killed you? Actually killed you. Before he knew that you could just... rebound. And do you remember what you did?"  
Ianto raised an eyebrow and looked at Jack expectantly but it didn't look like Jack would reply anytime soon.  
"You told him he was forgiven. Just like that. No punishment or anything. Same thing with Mary and Tosh."  
Ianto smiled, amused by the look on Jack's face.  
"This isn't about Gwen being the newbie or the heart or anything like that. It's just you. It's you being Jack. You forgive people, you let them get away with things other people would punish them for."  
Ianto's smiled softened. "Because you trust us, I imagine. And isn't that the Torchwood you wanted to create here? Based on trust."

Jack remained silent. He looked a little bit dumbfounded.  
"Now", Ianto said and nodded towards his desk, "I still have to read the repots and file them. And you have to write yours actually."  
Jack nodded slowly. Then again a bit quicker. He cleared his throat and glanced around.  
"Yes yes, of course. Yeah. I'll... I'll just...".  
Jack pointed at his office and Ianto suppressed a smile and nodded.  
Jack nodded again too and smiled.  
"Thank you Ianto".  
This time he smiled back.  
"Anytime sir", he said to Jack's retreating back.

**Author's Note:**

> It kind of always upsets me when people use this episode as 'proof' that Jack likes Gwen the best or that Gwen is really just an asshole because actually I think everyone would have acted exactly like Gwen would have. (Okay maybe she said some hurtful things but come on, she's only human). I also think there is no way Jack would have retconned any of them in such a situation; he's just too forigiving for that and likes them all to much.  
> So yeah, this was basically born because I was upset that people were so angry at Jack and wanted him to apologise so badly.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
